By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
To curb the growing menace of the Get-Rich-Quick Syndrome, stakeholders have called on Nigerians to embrace a national value system that encourages integrity, hard work, and responsible leadership.
This appeal was made during a Town Hall meeting organized by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Lokoja, Kogi State, as part of its nationwide sensitization campaign addressing five critical issues vital to Nigeria’s development and unity.
Speaking at the event, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director-General of NOA, represented by Mr. Patrick Edogbanya, Acting Director of NOA Kogi State Directorate, outlined the campaign’s focus areas: World HIV/AIDS Day, Security Awareness, Shunning Get-Rich-Quick Syndrome, World Human Rights Day, and Tax Reforms.
Participants at the meeting spotlighted the Get-Rich-Quick Syndrome, describing it as a destructive trend that undermines societal values. Pastor Augustine Ogbonnikan, Head of Programmes at NOA Kogi Directorate, defined the syndrome as “an irrational and inordinate desire to acquire wealth overnight.”
Ogbonnikan emphasized that tackling the issue requires attitudinal change and value re-orientation. “We must promote a national value system that guides the behavior of leaders and citizens alike. Together, we can restore Nigeria to the path of pride and progress,” he said.
Representative the Commander of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Lokoja, Lt. Masud Ibrahim Rumu, stressed the dangers of the Get-Rich-Quick mentality. “This trend undermines hard work, patriotism, and integrity, and poses significant risks to national security,” he remarked.
SP Williams Ovye Aya of the Kogi State Police Command highlighted the urgency of addressing the syndrome. “The youth are abandoning hard work for unrealistic lifestyles, fueled by alien values. This threatens our cultural heritage and the future of the nation,” he warned.
Alhaji Isa Adeboye of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) called on leaders to set examples for their followers and advocated for the inclusion of moral and religious education in schools to instill discipline in younger generations.
Mr. Israel Audu of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) highlighted the importance of collaboration. “A united effort can create a society where long-term growth and development take precedence over short-term gains,” he said.
Chairman, Kogi State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhaji Seidu Ademu Haruna, in his goodwill message advised parents to have time for their children, inculcate moral and religious values in them. (Ends)